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Estimate only — not legal, tax or immigration advice. Only the official authority's decision is binding.

Cyprus golden visa (permanent residency) by buying a home: total cost and how to apply

Updated 22 Oct 2026

How much does the Cyprus golden visa cost?

Cyprus gives permanent residence for a new home bought from a developer for at least €300,000 plus VAT: about €361,720 all in at 19% VAT, or €319,720 if the 5% main-residence rate applies. You also need €50,000 a year of income from abroad (+€15,000 for a spouse, +€10,000 per child) and must visit at least once every 2 years. Cyprus is not in Schengen yet, so the permit gives no Schengen travel.

How much does the Cyprus golden visa cost — amounts in euros (€)
VAT rate	Price	VAT	All in, one person
19% VAT	€300,000	€57,000	about €361,720
5% VAT (main home, first 130 m², up to €350,000)	€300,000	€15,000	about €319,720

Official rule: Cyprus: a house or apartment bought on first sale from a development company for at least EUR 300,000 plus VAT (Regulation 6(2), criteria in force since 2 May 2023). (source, checked 2026-10-21)

A €300,000 new home bought from a developer costs about €361,720 all in at 19% VAT, or about €319,720 if the 5% main-residence rate applies — VAT is almost the whole difference. In return you get permanent residence. But Cyprus is not in Schengen: the permit does not let you travel or live elsewhere in Europe.

Information only, not legal or immigration advice; rules change often — confirm with a licensed lawyer in Cyprus. Last checked: 12 Oct 2026. Figures marked verify come from law firms or commercial sources rather than an official tariff.

Total, all in€361,720

Costs on top of the price€61,72020.6% on top of the price

Not a valid document. Estimate for information only — not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change often and errors are possible. Confirm every figure with a licensed lawyer in the country before you pay anything.

The rules at a glance

The rules at a glance — Cyprus · amounts in euros (€)
Minimum price	€300,000 plus VAT, for a house or apartment bought on first sale from a development company; up to 2 units may be combined. Resales count only if filed before 7 May 2013.
How it must be paid	From abroad, from your or your spouse's account, into the seller's account at a Cyprus bank — a Cyprus loan does not count. The ministry asks for payment receipts of at least €300,000 excluding VAT and also mentions proof of at least 66% of the market value on application verify.
Income test	Secure income from abroad of at least €50,000 a year, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 per child under 18 — proven by a foreign tax return or accountant's certificate.
Minimum stay	Visit at least once every 2 years: the permit lapses after two years' absence. You must take up residence within a year of approval.
Permit	Permanent residence, unlimited validity; the card is replaced every 10 years; children's permits run to 18. No right to work, except as director of your own Cyprus company.
Family	Spouse, children under 18, and unmarried dependent students aged 18–25 (another €10,000 income each). Parents and parents-in-law are no longer included since May 2023; adult children need their own investment.
Renting the home out	Allowed according to two law firms; no official statement found verify. Renting loses the 5% VAT rate.
Holding period	Indefinitely: sell without buying an equal or larger replacement and the whole family loses the permit.
Ongoing duties	Proof every year that you still own the investment, health insurance, a criminal-record certificate every three years. Annual income re-confirmation was abolished; sources disagree on when.
Citizenship	Twelve months' continuous legal residence immediately before applying plus seven years in the preceding ten, Greek at B1 level and a civics test (Ministry of Interior).
Schengen	No. Cyprus applies the Schengen rules but border controls have not been lifted. Found technically ready in July 2026; the earliest decision is expected in December 2026 verify. Until then: no Schengen travel on this permit.
Processing	About 2 months officially; practitioners report 3–5 months for the review verify — see “What takes longer than expected”.
Last change	Fourth revision of the criteria, in force 2 May 2023; stamp duty abolished for contracts from 1 January 2026.

Every cost, and who sets it

VAT 19% on a new build, or 5% on your main and permanent residence for the first 130 m² up to €350,000, tapering out by 190 m² and €475,000 verify. The calculator uses the full 5% up to €350,000 and warns you between €350,000 and €475,000.
Land Registry transfer fee: none when VAT is paid; on resales 3/5/8% bands halved to 1.5/2.5/4%.
Stamp duty: abolished for contracts signed from 1 January 2026.
Application fee: €500 for everyone on the application (official), plus €70 for an Aliens Registration Certificate — the calculator counts it per person.
Purchase permit from the Council of Ministers for a non-EU buyer — usually a formality; fee not found verify.
Lawyer €2,000–5,000; police certificates €50–300; translations and apostille €300–1,000 verify.
Health insurance (inpatient and outpatient) for every family member — not in the total.

What takes longer than expected

The ministry's 2-month estimate starts only when the purchase, the transfers from abroad and every document are done. Everything before it is on your clock.

Family paperwork

For your spouse and children you need the marriage certificate and the children's birth certificates, each certified and officially translated, and your spouse's criminal record certificate. Every supporting document must be officially translated (into Greek or English) and duly certified.

Where are your documents from? Documents from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, India, Pakistan, China, Russia, the UK, the US, Canada, South Africa, the Philippines and the other countries in the Apostille Convention need an Apostille from the issuing country. The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon and Nigeria are not in the Convention: their documents need full legalisation — first the issuing country's foreign ministry, then the Cyprus consulate or embassy. Allow weeks for each stamp, per document and per family member. Pakistan joined the Convention in 2023 and Cyprus has not objected, so an Apostille from Pakistan works here (Greece is different — see its page).

The whole timeline, not just the review

The whole timeline, not just the review — Cyprus
Step	What the rules say	What people report
Choose a new home, contract, money from abroad	The contract or title deed is filed with the Department of Lands and Surveys	Weeks to months, depending on the developer
Examination of the application	About 2 months from a complete application	Often 3–5 months verify
The whole journey	No official figure	About 6–12 months from choosing the home to holding the card verify

The bank account

The money must be shown to come from abroad — your own or your spouse's foreign account — and must not be borrowed in Cyprus; it is paid to the seller's account in Cyprus. The current criteria do not ask you to open a Cypriot account yourself. If you open one anyway, practitioners report 3–8 weeks from a complete file, with source-of-wealth checks verify.

Advice from someone who is not selling you the home

For a house or apartment this route only accepts a first sale from a development company, so the seller is a developer. Estate agents in Cyprus must be registered and licensed; we found no rule that makes a lawyer compulsory. A lawyer you choose and pay yourself — not the developer's — checks the title deed situation, any mortgage or charge on the land and the contract before you pay.

How to apply, step by step

Check the income test first: €50,000 a year from abroad plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 per child.
Choose a new home from a developer worth at least €300,000 before VAT. Agree with your lawyer whether you will live in it (5% VAT) or let it (19%).
Pay from your own account abroad into the seller's Cyprus bank account; keep every receipt.
Have the sale contract filed at the Department of Lands and Surveys; your lawyer applies for the Council of Ministers purchase permit.
Collect police certificates, translations, apostilles and health insurance for everyone.
Apply to the Migration Department (Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection) with the filed contract, receipts, income proof and documents; pay the €500 fee.
Visit Cyprus for biometrics; after approval take up residence within a year and visit at least once every two years.

Official sources

Other countries: all four countries compared · can a non-EU citizen buy a home in each EU country? · routes that need no property

Before you rely on this: what to confirm

These points rest on a law firm, a commercial source or a single source, or the official page could not be read. Ask a licensed lawyer to confirm them against the official tariff or law before you pay anything.

Whether you need payment receipts of €300,000 or proof of 66% of the value on application.
The Council of Ministers purchase-permit fee.
The real VAT on your home (5% taper between €350,000 and €475,000, 130 m² limit).
The official position on renting a 6(2) home.
Whether the €70 registration certificate is charged per person.
Schengen accession — re-check monthly.

Questions people ask

Is Cyprus in Schengen?

No — Cyprus applies the Schengen rules but border controls have not been lifted. The earliest decision is expected in December 2026, so a Cyprus permit gives no Schengen travel until then.

Can I include my parents?

No — in Cyprus, parents and parents-in-law have been excluded since May 2023. Spouse, children under 18 and dependent students up to 25 can be included.

Do I have to live in Cyprus?

In Cyprus, you must visit at least once every two years; the permit lapses after two years' absence. You need €50,000 a year of income from abroad, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 per child.

How to get a golden visa in Cyprus?

Buy a new home from a developer for at least €300,000 plus VAT (up to two units), paid from abroad, and show €50,000 a year of secure income from abroad (+€15,000 spouse, +€10,000 per child). Apply to the Migration Department with the €500 fee; the ministry estimates about 2 months. A €300,000 investment in a Cypriot company with 5 staff or in Cypriot fund units also qualifies.

Sources (18)

Rules this page uses: 42, from 18 source documents. Each rule shows the date we last checked it.

Cyprus: a house or apartment bought on first sale from a development company for at least EUR 300,000 plus VAT (Regulation 6(2), criteria in force since 2 May 2023). (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: up to two housing units may be combined; resales qualify only if filed with the Land Registry before 7 May 2013. (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: the Migration Department asks for payment receipts of at least EUR 300,000 (excluding VAT) paid from abroad from the applicant's or spouse's account; it also mentions proof of payment of at least 66% of the market value on application. (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: secure income from abroad of at least EUR 50,000 a year for the main applicant. (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: plus EUR 15,000 a year for a spouse. (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: plus EUR 10,000 a year for each dependent minor child. (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: application fee EUR 500 for all persons included in the application. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: EUR 70 when the applicant or a family member needs an Aliens Registration Certificate. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: the permit is permanent; the card is replaced every ten years; minors' permits run to age 18. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: the permit lapses after two years' absence from Cyprus (or permanent residence abroad); residence must be taken up within a year of approval. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: the ministry estimates about two months for a complete application; practitioners report longer in practice (see gv_cy_review_reported). (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: the permit gives no right to work, except as a director of a company you invested in. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: VAT on new builds 19%. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: 5% VAT on a main and permanent residence for the first 130 m2 of buildable area up to a value of EUR 350,000, provided the whole transaction is at most EUR 475,000 and 190 m2 (Law 42(I)/2023); the dwelling must stay your residence for 10 years or the VAT difference is repaid. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: the 5% VAT rate covers the first 130 m2. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: full 5% rate up to a value of EUR 350,000. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: no reduced rate above 190 m2. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: no reduced rate above EUR 475,000. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: no Land Registry transfer fee when the sale is subject to VAT (new build); for other sales the law grants a 50% exemption on the fee, so the 3/5/8% bands work out at 1.5/2.5/4% (Department of Lands and Surveys). (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: stamp duty abolished - the Stamp Duties Laws 1963-2025 were repealed by Law 239(I)/2025 with effect from 1 January 2026. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: lawyer EUR 2,000-5,000 flat (EUR 3,500 used as the example). verify (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: police certificates EUR 50-300 and translations/apostille EUR 300-1,000 (EUR 650 used for one person). verify (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: the permit covers the spouse and children under 18; parents and parents-in-law are not covered (criteria of 2 May 2023); adult children need their own investment. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: the investment must be kept; selling it without an immediate replacement of the same or greater value cancels the permit, and you must show every year that it is still held (Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection). (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: naturalisation needs 12 months' continuous legal residence immediately before applying plus seven years' legal residence in the preceding ten, Greek at B1 level and a civics test (Ministry of Interior, form M127); shorter 3-4 year routes exist for highly qualified workers. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: renting the home out is allowed according to two law firms; no official statement found; renting loses the 5% VAT rate. verify (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: found technically ready for Schengen in July 2026; no Council date; the December 2026 JHA Council is the earliest decision (press reports - re-check monthly). verify (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: non-EU buyers need the permission of the Council of Ministers under Cap. 109, applied for through the District Officer after the contract is signed; the law limits acquisitions beyond what is needed for a home to the area of 'two skalas' (about 2,700 m2) subject to conditions; one property is the usual policy; it is normally a formality of one to two months; fee not found. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Schengen: 25 EU states are members; Cyprus is still in the integration process and Ireland stays out; Bulgaria and Romania joined fully on 1 January 2025. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: permission of the Council of Ministers under Cap. 109 (via the District Officer, after signing); one house or apartment is the usual policy, with an area cap of about two skalas (about 2,700 m2) for what exceeds a home's needs; usually a formality of one to two months. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: no transfer fee when VAT is paid on a new build (VAT 19%, or 5% for a main residence within the limits); other sales get a 50% exemption on the 3/5/8% bands (1.5/2.5/4%); stamp duty abolished from 1 January 2026. (source, checked 2026-10-12)
Cyprus: at least EUR 300,000 as new capital of a Cypriot company with physical presence and at least 5 employees, or in units of a Cypriot AIF, AIFLNP or RAIF; money from abroad, not borrowed in Cyprus (Regulation 6(2)). (source, checked 2026-10-13)
Apostille Convention (HCCH, 130 parties): Saudi Arabia (in force 7 Dec 2022), Bahrain (31 Dec 2013), Oman (30 Jan 2012), India (14 Jul 2005), Pakistan (9 Mar 2023), China (7 Nov 2023), the UK, the US, Canada (11 Jan 2024), South Africa, the Philippines (14 May 2019) and Russia are parties: their public documents need an Apostille from the issuing country instead of consular legalisation — unless the receiving country objected to that accession. (source, checked 2026-10-20)
The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon and Nigeria are not parties to the Apostille Convention: documents issued there need full legalisation — the issuing country's foreign ministry, then the consulate of the country where you apply. (source, checked 2026-10-20)
Cyprus: the Ministry estimates about 2 months to examine a complete application — counted only after the purchase, the transfers and every document are done. (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: practitioners report that the ministry's examination alone often takes 3–5 months, not the 2 months the ministry estimates. verify (source, checked 2026-10-20)
Cyprus, whole journey from choosing the home to holding the card: practitioners report 6–12 months; the review alone often takes 3–5 months, not two. verify (source, checked 2026-10-20)
Cyprus: every supporting document must be officially translated (into Greek or English) and duly certified. (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: for a spouse and children you need the marriage certificate and birth certificates, each certified and officially translated, and the spouse's criminal record certificate. (source, checked 2026-10-20)
Cyprus: the purchase money must be shown to have come from abroad (your own or your spouse's account) and must not be borrowed in Cyprus; it is paid to the seller's account in Cyprus. (source, checked 2026-10-21)
Cyprus: if you open a local account, practitioners report 3–8 weeks from a complete file, with source-of-wealth checks and sometimes a meeting in person. verify (source, checked 2026-10-20)
Cyprus: estate agents must be on the Register of Real Estate Agents and licensed by its Council; for a house or apartment the route requires a first sale from a development company. (source, checked 2026-10-20)

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